Hours after the Kerala State Relief Commissioner and Principal Secretary of Disaster Management wrote to the Department of Science Technology, asking them to prevent the scientific community from talking to the media about the Wayanad landslide, the Chief Minister ordered that the note be withdrawn.
All Science and Technology institutions in Kerala will be asked to refrain from conducting field visits to Meppadi in Wayanad, which has been designated as a disaster-affected zone. An internal note by State Relief Commissioner and Principal Secretary of Disaster Management Tinku Biswal said, “The scientific community shall be directed to restrain themselves from sharing their opinions and study reports to the media. If any study is to be undertaken in the disaster-affected area, prior permission shall be obtained from Kerala State Disaster Management Authority.”
The note led to much outrage. The Chief Minister reacted to it saying that it would be withdrawn and that Kerala had no such intention.
Chief Secretary Venu V said that the advisory was not issued with an intent to restrain the scientific community of the state from conducting studies and providing insights. “The objective was to discourage statements and opinions by persons belonging to scientific institutions of the state, that may be misinterpreted or misquoted to create panic and confusion among the public, particularly during this sensitive time.
We believe that there is great importance for scientific studies that can throw light on the challenges faced by the state in the context of climate change, and new knowledge can add to our understanding and shape our strategies. At the same time, in the aftermath of a tragedy of this intensity, it is important that the immediate focus on rescue, recovery and rehabilitation is not lost and that widespread panic and paranoia are not generated on account of misinterpretation of statements or opinions made, detracting from the humanitarian work at hand.
As the note does not convey this accurately, it is being withdrawn with immediate effect.”
The devastating triple landslides that struck Wayanad on July 30 have resulted in at least 250 deaths, with around 200 people still missing. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue and recovery operations continue. Torrential rains triggered the landslides, which occurred between 1:30 am and 3:00 am in the Chooralmala and Mundakkai regions of Meppadi, wiping out large areas of land and decimating villages and tea estates.
Wayanad, a hilly district in the Western Ghats, is particularly susceptible to landslides during the monsoon season. These recent landslides are the worst to hit Kerala since 2020, when a landslide in Pettimudi, in the Idukki district, claimed 66 lives.